Building a Birchbark Canoe : The Algonquin Wabanaki Tciman by David Gidmark

Building a Birchbark Canoe: The Algonquin Wabanaki Tcîmân by David Gidmark offers a detailed exploration of the traditional methods used by 20th-century Algonquin craftsmen to construct birchbark canoes. Gidmark, one of the few non-Indigenous individuals to learn this ancient craft directly from the Algonquins, provides a step-by-step guide to their techniques, highlighting regional variations and noting the adoption of modern tools as shortcuts.

The book delves into the history of bark canoes and features the specific methods of four master builders and their assistants. It covers all stages of construction, from selecting materials to the final shaping of the hull. Furthermore, it includes a chapter on crafting paddles in the native tradition.